Implantable electrical stimulation systems have proven therapeutic in a variety of diseases and disorders. For example, spinal cord stimulation systems have been used as a therapeutic modality for the treatment of chronic pain syndromes. Deep brain stimulation has also been useful for treating refractory chronic pain syndromes and has been applied to treat movement disorders and epilepsy. Peripheral nerve stimulation has been used to treat chronic pain syndrome and incontinence, with a number of other applications under investigation. Functional electrical stimulation systems have been applied to restore some functionality to paralyzed extremities in spinal cord injury patients. Moreover, electrical stimulation systems can be implanted subcutaneously to stimulate subcutaneous tissue including subcutaneous nerves such as the occipital nerve.
Stimulators have been developed to provide therapy for a variety of treatments. A stimulator can include a control module (with a pulse generator), one or more leads, and an array of stimulator electrodes disposed on each lead. The stimulator electrodes are in contact with or near the nerves, muscles, or other tissue to be stimulated. The pulse generator in the control module generates electrical pulses that are delivered by the electrodes to body tissue. Stylets are typically employed during implantation of the stimulator to facilitate placement of one or more arrays of stimulator electrodes at or near the tissue to be stimulated.